Concrete molding apparatus



Feb. 11, 1969 K. WOCHNER 6,

I CONCRETE MOLDING APPARATUS Filed March 23, 1966 Sheet Of 2 Feb. 11,1969 woc CONCRETE MOLDING APPARATUS Sheet g of 2 Filed March 23, 1966United States Patent 3,426,403 CONCRETE MOLDING APPARATUS Kurt Wochner,Dotternhausen Germany, assignor to Rheinbau G.m.b.H., Mainz, GermanyFiled Mar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 536,792 U.S. C]. 25-41 Int Cl. B20b 1/08 6Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to themolding of concrete.

In particular, the present invention relates to apparatus for moldingconcrete base members adapted to be used with structural frameworks inbuilding structures and the like.

Where a structural framework or lattice girder is provided with aconcrete base, it is known to manufacture such a concrete base or slabwith a mold whose length corresponds to the length of the structuralsupporting unit, this mold being carried by a suitable frame whichsupports a movable concrete container from which the concrete is pouredinto the mold. With known structure of this type, the requiredcompacting of the concrete can be carried out by way of suitable rollersor the like. This structure is suitable for producing relatively thickconcrete slabs of fairly good quality. However, when the base of thestructural framework is in the form of a relatively thin concrete plate,it is not possible to use structure of this latter type.

It is also known to manufacture the concrete base of a structuralframework with a movable supporting structure for a vibrating deviceguided in such a way that this movable supporting structure will movetransversely across the concrete which is molded. Because it isnecessary to move the vibration device of this type of apparatustransversely across the longitudinally extending concrete, it is onlypossible to apply the vibrating structure to carrier elements whichextend outwardly beyond the concrete base. For this reason, this type ofstructure also is not suitable for relatively thin concrete plates butcan only be used with relatively small concrete slabs of considerabledepth.

In the case where the structural framework has a relatively thinconcrete base in the form of a concrete plate of relatively large area,the known structures referred to above cannot be used since thevibrations derived from the vibrating device cannot extend outwardlybeyond the carrier elements which extend from the concrete base to thepart of the concrete which is situated beyond these carrier elements.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide astructure capable of molding relatively thin concrete plates ofrelatively great lengths with a structure which will provide a highlyeflicient compacting of the concrete While it is in the mold.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide astructure of this type which will reliably support the mold so that thecompacting vibrations will be reliably transmitted thereto while at thesame time malfcilng it very easy to discharge the molded slab from themo An additional object of the invention is to provide a structure whichwill reliably maintain the components of the concrete mold in engagementwith each other during molding of concrete therein and which, at thesame time, is capable of freeing these components for movement apartfrom each other, so that it is a simple matter to discharge the moldedconcrete from the mold.

In the structure of the invention, a frame means carries a vibratorysupport means which is adapted to carry one or more vibration devices soas to be vibrated thereby. A mold means is provided for molding theconcrete into the form of a plate, and a guide means is carried by thevibratory support means and guides the mold means for movement between amolding position, in which the mold means receives the concrete to bemolded, and a discharge position in which the molded plate can bedischarged from the mold means. In accordance with the invention, theguide means guides the mold means for movement with respect to thevibratory support means not only in a generally horizontal direction butalso in a generally vertical direction.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawing which forms part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of one embodiment of an apparatusaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partly fragmentary transverse view of the structure; and

FIG. 3 shows, in elevation, a supply structure for supplying concrete tothe mold.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown therein a base frame means1 which supports the entire struc ture. This base frame means 1 includesa pair of longitudinally extending side members 2 forming rails in whichrollers 3 are guided for movement. These rollers 3 are rotatably carriedby elongated lower side frame members 5a (FIG. 1) of a framework whichcarries a container 5 for the concrete which is to issue from the openbottom end of the container or hopper 5 into a mold, as described below.This funnel-shaped hopper 5 is fixed to the top ends of a pair of sidearms 4 which are fixed to and extend upwardly from the lower members 5aand which at their upper ends are directed inwardly toward the sidewalls of the hopper 5, so as to carry the latter in the manner shownmost clearly in FIGS. 1 and 3.

The base frame means 1 supports a vibratory support means 6 which isadapted to carry vibrating devices of conventional construction (notshown). This vibratory support means 6 extends longitudinally along thebase frame means 1. Suitable rubber blocks 7 or the like are interposedbetween the vibratory support means 6 and the frame means 1 to mount thesupport means 6 on the frame means 1 while insulating the latter fromthe vibrations of the support means 6. In this way, the blocks 7 form adamping means for damping the framework 1 from the vibrations of thesupport means 6.

The vibratory support means 6 includes elongated side frame members 6adirectly fixed to the blocks 7 and situated respectively over the sideframe members 2, as indicated in FIG. 2. In addition, the vibratorysupport means 6 includes cross members 8 which are fixed to the sidemembers 6a and extend across the space therebetween, these cross members8 being situated on top of the side members 6a so that they extend to anelevation higher than the members 611. The spacing between the severalcross member 8 is indicated in FIG. 1.

A guide means is provided for guiding the mold means, which is describedbelow, for movement with respect to the support means 6 between amolding position and a discharge position. This guide means includes apair of parallel guide rails 9 fixed to and extending between the leftpair of cross members 8, as viewed in FIG. 1, and an additional pair ofparallel guide rails 9 fixed to and extending between the right pair ofcross members 8, as viewed in FIG. 1. In this way, the pairs ofsuccessive cross members of the vibratory support means respectivelycarry pairs of guide rails 9. These guide rails 9 are situated over themembers 6a and they are provided intermediate their ends with inclinedportions situating the front ends of the guide rails 9 at an elevationhigher than their rear ends, as is particularly apparent from FIG. 1.For this purpose the forward cross member 8 of each pair of successivecross members carries suitable blocks for supporting the front ends ofthe rails 9 at elevations higher than their rear ends, respectively. Therear ends of the rails 9 are fixed directly to the cross members 8.

The guide means includes, in addition to the rails 9, stop members 10 inthe form of elongated leaf springs having the configuration shown mostclearly in FIG. 1. These leaf springs are fixed at their rear ends tothe rear ends of the rails 9, respectively, and except for their rearends the leaf springs 10 are spaced from the guide rails 9 to definewith the latter gaps for receiving rollers 11, respectively.

These rollers 11 are turnably carried by the mold means 12, and inparticular by elongated lateral side frame members of the mold means,which extend parallel to the side frame members 6a and 2, longitudinallyof the apparatus. The lateral mold frame members carry at their innersurfaces mold plates 13 and 14 which are removably fixed to the lateralside frame members of the mold. These side plates 13 and 14 of the moldframe directly engage the concrete and laterally confine the concreteduring setting thereof in the mold means 12.

The lateral side frame members of the mold means 12 also fixedly carrydepending members or brackets 15 which extend downwardly between thecross members 8 to an elevation lower than the upper surfaces thereof.The depending arms or members 15 are situated at opposite sides of themold means and are fixed to each other at their bottom ends bytransversely extending members 15:! (FIG. 2). Each assembly of a pair ofdepending members 15 and the transverse member 15a interconnecting thesame, fixedly carries a pair of forwardly extending arms 15b which serveto support a roller 16. These rollers 16 are freely turnable on the arms15b and are situated at an elevation lower than the top surfaes of thecross members 8 when the mold means 12 is in the molding positionthereof shown in FIG. 1.

The concrete is supported by a mold board 17 of the mold means, and thismold board 17 is freely movable with respect to the remainder of themold means 12. When the mold means 12 is the molding position thereof,the mold board 17 rests directly on the vibratory support means 6,engaging the cross members -8 thereof. As is apparent from FIG. 1, whenthe mold means 12 is in its molding position, the roller means 16 isspaced beneath the molding board 17 at a predetermined distancetherefrom. The stop members 10 of the guide means press downwardly,through the rollers 11, on the mold frame to press the lateral moldplates 13 and 14 downwardly toward the mold board 17. In this way, theside plates 13 of the mold are pressed at their bottom edges against thetop surface of the mold board 17 to confine the concrete thereon. Thus,with the mold means 12 in its molding position, the vibrations impartedto the vibratory support means 6 will be transmitted in a very thoroughmanner throughout the entire mold means for very efficiently compactingthe concrete, with the reinforcing rods and carrier elements embeddedtherein, as indicated in FIG. 2.

In order to displace the mold means from the illustrated moldingposition thereof to the discharge position, a hydraulic means 18 isprovided. The cylinder of the hydraulie means 18 is pivotally supportedat its rear end on the base frame means 1, while the piston is connectedwith the rearmost cross member 15a, as indicated in FIG. 2. Therefore,when oil under pressure is introduced in a known way into the cylinderof the hydraulic means 18, the piston therein will be displacedforwardly so as to shift the entire mold means to the right, as viewedin FIG. 1 from the illustrated molding position to a discharge position.During this displacement of the mold means the rollers 11 will be guidedfor movement by the rails 9 which will not only guide the mold means formovement in a generally horizontal, forward direction, but which will inaddition raise the mold means in a generally vertical direction, so thatthe board 17 initially remains on the cross members 8 while the moldframe which carries the rollers 16 and the side plates 13 and 14 isdisplaced upwardly and forwardly with respect to the board 17. Duringthis upward movement of the mold frame, the top edges of the rollers 16engage the lower surface of the board 17 and raise the latter upwardlyfrom the cross members 8 so that, in this way, the board 17 is displacedfrom the vibratory support means. When the rollers 11 have reached theupper forward ends of the inclined portions of the rails 9 the upperedges of the rollers 16 will have been displaced to an elevation higherthan the top surfaces of the cross members 8, so that now the board 17,together with the finished concrete plate thereon, can be rolledforwardly on the rollers 16 and out of the mold to discharge the moldedarticle from the mold. With the mold means thus in its dischargeposition, determined by the stroke of hydraulic means 18, a board 17with a molded concrete plate thereon can easily be removed and replacedby another board 17. The parts can then be returned by retraction of thehydraulic means 18 so that the mold will return to its molding positionand another plate can be molded.

It is preferred to arrange the rollers 16 from the rear toward the frontat increasingly slightly lower elevations so that the rearmost roller 16is at the highest elevation and the forwardmost roller 16 is at thelowest elevation. Thus, when the mold means is in its dischargeposition, the board 17 of the mold means is inclined downwardly so thatit will automatically roll out of the mold.

The upper surfaces of the side frame members of the mold means 12 can beprovided with scales 19 which make it possible for the operator toprovide any desired length of molded concrete plate without initialmeasuring by way of end switches.

In order to displace the supply means 4, 5 along the base frame means 1,a sprocket chain drive 20 is provided, driven by a driving motor (notshown) situated at any suitable part of the frame. Moreover, anelongated foot switch which extends along the entire length of themachine, and which is not illustrated in the drawing, can be provided tomake it possible for the operator to stop and start the vibrations whenthe operator is at any part of the machine, simply by depressing thefoot switch with his foot.

It is to be noted that the rails 9 of the guide means serve not only toraise and lower the mold frame but also to guide the mold meanslaterally, so that the manufacture of straight carrier plates isassured. The configuration of the guide rails 9 is such that initially,during movement from the molding position to the discharge position, themold moves only horizontally through a given increment and starts to bedisplaced upwardly only after having moved through this initialhorizontal increment, so that in this way tearing away of edge portionsof the freshly molded concrete which may not have yet set is reliablyavoided.

By reason of the pressing of the mold frame downwardly against the moldboard 17, full molding of complete, solid side edges of the concreteplate is assured and leaking of the concrete between the mold frame andthe board 17 is reliably avoided. By making the side plates 13 and 14removable, they can be exchanged for other side plates which will givethe side edges of the concrete plate any desired profile.

When the container 5 is in the loading position of FIG. 1 where itreceives the concrete which is to be delivered to the mold means 12, thebottom end of the container is closed by a table 21 supported formovement on the rollers 21a of the base frame means 1. As a result ofthe frictional contact of the concrete with the top surface of the table21, at the outlet opening of the hopper 5, this outlet opening beingclosed by the table 21, when the container 5 is advanced forwardly, tothe right, as viewed in FIG. 1, the table 21 will move together with thecontainer 5. This movement will continue until the stop member. 25,which is fixed to the rear end of the table 21, engages the rear roller21a shown at the left in FIG. 1, and now the table 21 cannot move whilethe container 5 continues to move, with the rollers 3 advancing alongthe rails 2 in the manner described above. As a result of this feature,the mold means 12 will only begin to be filled when the table 21 isstationary and the container 5 has moved beyond table 21. Therefore, thehorizontally extending reinforcing rods will be uncovered at one end ofthe concrete plate.

A pair of stop members 26, one of which is shown at the right end ofFIG. 1, are carried by the rails 2 in the path of movement of theforward rollers 3, and these stop members 26 may be mounted on the rails2 at any desired location. The stop member 26 is schematically indicatedin FIG. 1 and may take the form of any suitable bolt, for example,capable of being selectively placed in one of a series of openingsarranged along the rails 2, so that in this way the forward movement ofthe container 5 is also limited by engagement of the stop members 26with the forward rollers 3. Therefore, by reason of these stop members26 it is also possible to leave the forward ends of the reinforcing rodsuncovered, and thus in the finished concrete plate the free ends of thereinforcing rods are exposed. This feature is, of course, highlydesirable for reasons well known in the art.

Thus, in order to use the structure of the invention, it is onlynecessary to roll the mold board 17 along the rollers 16 into the mold,while the mold 12 is in its discharge position, and then the entireassembly can be displaced to the molding position shown in FIG. 1.During vibratory movement of the vibratory support means 6, by way ofthe unillustrated vibrating devices carried by the support means 6 atany desired locations thereon, the board 17 directly engages thevibratory support means while the rollers 16 are situated beneath andspaced from the board 17. The molding frame, which laterally confinesthe concrete, is pressed downwardly against the board 17 in the mannerdescribed above. In this way, the molding takes place, and at the end ofthe molding operation the mold means is displaced back to the dischargeposition so that the rollers 16 are elevated to engage the underside ofthe board 17 and raise it to an elevation above the vibratory supportmeans, thus enabling the board 17 together with the molded concreteplate thereon to be readily removed. By arranging the rollers 16 so thatthey are successively at somewhat lower elevations, from the rear end ofthe mold toward the forward end thereof, the mold board 17 is inclineddownwardly and rolls out very easily in an automatic manner. The featureof providing an initial forward, substantially horizontal increment ofmovement of the mold frame, before it moves upwardly, guarantees thatthe side plates 13 and 14 will initially slide horizontally along theside edges of the molded plate so that tearing away of the concrete atthe side edges by sudden upward movement of the side plates 13 and 14,before a horizontal sliding movement relative to the concrete, isavoided.

Also, instead of placing the rollers 16 at different elevations, thefront ends of the front guides 9 can be situated at an elevationsomewhat lower than the front ends of the rear guides 9, so that whenthe mold means is in its discharge position, the entire mold is slightlyinclined to provide automatic rolling of the board 17 out of the mold.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for producing girders with a concrete plate,particularly lattice girders for ceilings and the like, the combinationof a base, a vibratory table mounted on said base and having a lengthsubstantially corresponding to that of a girder to be produced, a girderplate form positioned above said table and movable longitudinally aswell as vertically relative thereto, and means for guiding said form inits movement, said form including lateral form members and a bottom formmember, said bottom form member initially resting on said vibratorytable and said guiding means being operative to initially draw saidlateral form members downwardly against the bottom form member whileconcrete is being poured into the form, said guiding means also beingoperative to subsequently raise the lateral form members off the bottomform member while the latter remains resting on said table and toeventually raise the bottom form member off said table when the form ismoved longitudinally to its ultimate position.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said guiding meansinclude elongated guide rails secured to said table and having endportions disposed at difierent elevations relative to the table, androllers provided on said lateral form members and engaging said guiderails.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said guiding means alsoinclude brackets depending from said lateral form members, andtransverse rollers journalled in said brackets below said bottom formmembers, said transverse rollers being engageable with the bottom formmember to raise the same off said table when the form is moved to itsultimate position and permitting the bottom form member to be rolled outof the apparatus on said transverse rollers to discharge the producedgirder.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said vibratory table isprovided at the top thereof with longitudinally spaced cross members onwhich said bottom form member rests in the initial position of the form,said transverse rollers initially lying below upper edges of said crossmembers but being projectable above the cross member upper edges toraise the bottom form member off the cross members in the ultimateposition of the form.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 together with a concrete supplyhopper movable longitudinally on said base above said form.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 together with a fluid operatorreacting between said base and said form for moving the latter betweenits initial and ultimate positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,453,747 5/1923 Carry 25-991,574,985 3/1926 McWain 25-41 2,029,365 2/1936 Galbman 25-41 2,036,3674/1936 Shinn et al. 25-41 2,106,329 1/1938 Scott 25-41 2,562,541 7/1951Flam 25-41 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

